MP: EOW to grill Digvijaya in ₹719 crore scam

The economic offences wing (EOW) of Madhya Pradesh has summoned former chief minister Digvijaya Singh for questioning in connection with an alleged ₹719 crore scam in MP State Industrial Development Corporation (MPSIDC).

Digvijaya Singh was the chief minister between 1995 and 2002 when the alleged ICD scam took place in the MPSIDC(File photo)

The economic offences wing (EOW) of Madhya Pradesh has summoned former chief minister Digvijaya Singh for questioning in connection with an alleged ₹719 crore scam in MP State Industrial Development Corporation (MPSIDC).

Singh was the chief minister between 1995 and 2002 when the alleged inter-corporate deposit (ICD) scam took place in the MPSIDC, a senior EOW official told HT.

The EOW, in a notice, asked Singh, now the national general secretary of Congress, to appear before it on January 16 next year, the official said.

This is the second case in which the former chief minister will be questioned by the EOW. A few months back in Bhopal, the EOW had recorded statements of the senior Congress leader in connection with unlawful reduction of penalty slapped on a Bhopal-based educational institute between 1993 and 2003.

According to the EOW official, the case, in which Singh was summoned for questioning, was lodged in July 2004 against 86 accused, including two former ministers, some senior bureaucrats and officials of 42 companies.

Barring senior bureaucrat Mohanty, the EOW has already charge sheeted other bureaucrats and politicians in the case.

The case was lodged barely a month after the MPSIDC submitted a report on loans disbursed among companies since 1995.

The MPSIDC had allegedly first raised funds from provident fund organizations and financial institutions and later loaned out the money via inter corporate deposits among 42 companies, thus causing a loss of ₹719 crore to the government.